Forgetful Freddy and Joanne the Duck sit on shelves waiting for their moment. At some point in their decades-old lives, they made children gasp in awe and giggle with delight during magic shows.

Growing up in Seaford, Josh Kurzban remembers being enthralled by a magician at a friend’s birthday party when he was five. The magician, dressed in a tuxedo, performed various tricks, including some ...